Google’s “Project Loon” flying Internet coming to homes in California

Balloon network test will help Google figure out how to actually make it work.

Google is asking residents of Central Valley in California to take part in a beta test of Project Loon, the company's ambitious plan to deliver Internet access from balloons.

"Project Loon is looking for folks in the area who are willing to have a Loon Internet antenna installed on their house or small business building to help test the strength of the Loon Internet connection," Google said on the project's Google+ page. "When balloons fly overhead, the Loon Internet antennas will generate traffic that will load-test our service."

Interested residents in Madera, Chowchilla, Mariposa, Merced, or Turlock can fill out a survey for the chance to participate. The tests will begin in August and run through the end of the year, Google said.

"You'll be asked to help us load test the system during our research flights in the coming months," Google said. "Load testing involves putting demand on the system and then measuring its response. During these research flights, you will be invited to install a specialized Internet antenna on your home or business building which will help us learn how to deliver reliable, fast Internet connectivity to as many people as possible."

Google unveiled Project Loon in June, conducting the first publicly acknowledged tests in New Zealand. Google's balloons have been flying for some time, though. Last October, residents of Kentucky noticed one of the balloons and called it a UFO, alerting police and attracting the attention of the Huffington Post with a YouTube video. Google didn't acknowledge the test at the time, but it recently admitted that Kentucky residents had seen one of its Project Loon balloons.

The system is still just experimental, but Google believes it will eventually bring Internet access to many parts of the world where people have little or no connectivity. The balloons are sent into the stratosphere and fly untethered, but Google says it uses "complex algorithms" along with wind and solar power to control their movement. The balloons form a mesh network 20 kilometers above the ground, with each balloon communicating with its neighbors and ultimately to ground stations connected to Internet providers.